2. If man sought to distinguish himself from others by attaining wealth, honors or offices, he would be dissatisfied, no matter how he magnified himself, nor would he ever be serene and happy. But if he realized that the same divine principle lives within him as in all other men.
he would immediately attain peace and happiness, no matter in what state he might be, for he would realize that there is something within him that is higher than anything else in the world.
3. The longer men live the better they realize that their life is only then happy and joyous when they recognize their oneness in one and the same spirit that dwells in all.
4. Love provokes love. And it is bound to be so, because God awaking within you, awakes Himself also in the other man.
5. When meeting another, no matter how disagreeable or repulsive he may seem to you, it is well to remember that through hihi you have the chance of communion with that spiritual principle that lives in him, in yourself and in the whole world, and therefore, you must not feel burdened by this communion, but be grateful for it as a blessing.
6. A branch cut off from the trunk is by this same act separated from the tree. Even so a man who quarrels with another man separates himself from all mankind. But the branch is cut off by the hand of a stranger, while man cuts himself off from his neighbor through his own hatred, and does not realize that thereby he cuts himself apart from all mankind. Marcus Aurelius.
7. There is no evil deed committed for which only he who has committed it is punished. We cannot so hide ourselves that the evil within us does not pass into other people. Our deeds, good or evil, are like our children. They live and act no longer in accordance with our will, but of their own accord George Eliot,
8. Ншпап life is hard only because men do not know that the same soul which dwells within them lives also in all people. This accounts for the enmity of men among themselves. This accounts for some being rich, others poor, some being masters, others laborers; this accounts for envy and malice, this accounts for all human suffering.
9. The body of man craves only its own good, and men submit to this deception. And as soon as man lives for his body alone, he disagrees with men and with God and fails to attain the good which he is seeking after.
LOVE
LOVE
The soul of man, being separated by the body from God and from the souls of other creatures, strives to unite with that from which it is separated. The soul unites with God through a constantly growing consciousness of God within and with the souls of other creatures through a constantly growing manifestation of love.
I.
Love Unites Men with God and with Other Creatures
1. Jesus said to the lawyer: **Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and the great commandment."
And the second is like unto it: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Thus spake the lawyer to Christ, and Jesus said: "Thou hast answered right, this do (that is, love God and thy neighbor) and thou shalt live."
2. Woe unto you, ye men of the world. There is grief and worry over your heads and under your feet, to the right of you and to the left of you, and ye are a mystery unto yourselves. And such mysteries will ye remain unless ye become happy and loving as the children. Only then shall ye know Me, and knowing Me ye shall know yourselves, and only then shall ye rule yourselves.
And only then, as ye look out of your soul into the world, all things will be a blessing to you, in the world and within your own selves. Buddhist wisdom.
3. Only perfection can be loved. Therefore, in order to love one of two things is required; either to count that perfect which is imperfect, or to love perfection, that is
God. If we count that perfect which is imperfect, sooner or later the error will be revealed, and the love will cease. But the love of God, that is of perfection, cannot cease.
4. God is love; he who dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in htm. No man has ever seen God, but if we love one another God dwelleth in us and His love is perfected in us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen? Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God, for God is love. Based upon 1 John. IV.
5. Men can unite truly only in God. In order to unite, men need not walk towards one another, but all must go in the direction of God.
If there were an immense temple in which the light entered only in the center, from above, then in order to meet in that temple all men would have to go towards the light in the center thereof. Even so in the world. Let all men walk in the direction of God, and eventually they will all meet tt^ether.
6. "Beloved, let us love one another; love is of God, and he that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love," said John the Apostle.
To love all men seems difficult. But all things are difficult until you learn how to do them. Men can learn anything: to sew, to weave, to till the soil, to mow, to forge iron, to read and to write. Even so they must learn how to love all people.
And to learn to do this is not difficult, because loving one another has been ingrained in our hearts.
"No man has ever seen God, but if we love one another. He dwelleth in us."
And if God is love and dwelleth in us, it is not difficult to learn to love. We must only strive to be delivered from that which hinders love, to be delivered from that which prevents its outward manifestation. And if you only make a start, you will soon attain the most important and necessary of all sciences: how to love people.
7. There is nothing more joyful than the knowledge that people love us. But curiously enough, in order that people might love us we need not strive to please them, but only to draw nearer to God. Draw nigh to God, give no thought to people, and the people will love you.
8. Do not ask God to unite you. He has made you one already by placing His one and the same spirit in you all. Only cast off the things which divide you, and you will be one.
9. Man imagines that he wills his own good. But this is only seemingly so. It is the indwelling God who wills his good. And God wills the good of all men.
10. He who says that he loves God and loves not his neighbor deceives the people. And he who says that he loves his neighbor and does not love God, deceives himself.
11. It is said we must fear God. This is untrue. We must love God, not fear him. You can not love what you fear. And besides, you can not fear God, because God is love. How can we fear love? Do not fear God, but be conscious of Him within yourself. And if you are conscious of God within, you will fear nothing in the world.
12. Some say that the last day will be the day of judgment, and that the God of goodness will be a God of wrath. Yet from a God of blessings nothing can come but what is good.
V
Whatever faiths there be, there is only one true faith— that God is love. And from love nothing can come but good'.
Do not fear vchether in this life or after it, nothing can be, nothing will be but good. Persian wisdom.
13. To live a Godly life is to be like unto God, To be like unto God, you must fear nothing and desire nothing for self. In order to fear nothing and desire nothing for yt self, you need only love.
^ Some say, look within, and you will have peace. This